Healthy Cauliflower Crust Pesto Pizza

There are days when I just got to have pizza! I also love garden vegetables. Sadly, I don’t grow a garden, but a few friends shared their fresh produce bounty. I decided to take this opportunity to do a healthy upscale to a classic family favorite!

Top with whatever vegetables you have on hand! (Or meat if you prefer).

Dietary Notes: The result is a vegetarian-friendly, low carb, gluten-free pizza. It is fairly high in fat due to the pesto and generous use of Rumiano Cheese. It is a delicious, lighter alternative to more traditional pizza.

Before you start, make your pesto sauce. You may also purchase pesto if you prefer. Any pesto works, I adapted a recipe I previously featured on Feeling Fit: Zesty Fresh Pesto. I made a couple of alterations, I replaced almost half the basil with minced kale to add a little nutritional boost (Kale is rich in vitamins and mineral). I also used slightly less oil, I always suggest starting with a little and adding more until you reach your desired texture. I wanted to make this Pesto less oily since it is a topping on a flat pizza crust.

Once you have the Pesto ready, feel free to follow the recipe. This was my first attempt at cauliflower pizza crust. I need to give credit where credit is due. It is based on my adaptation of a recipe from Spark People (see link at the end of this post).

For Pesto Sauce (included for ingredient reference, see linked recipe):

Basil

Olive oil

Pine Nuts

Garlic

Kale

Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Prepare Pesto ahead of time, or use store-bought pesto

To Prepare the Pizza Crust

Preheat the over to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232.2 Celsius)

Cut cauliflower into small pieces, then put those pieces in a food processor and mince finely. Add peeled garlic clove and mince.

Grate or mince cheese .5 cup of mozzarella cheese

Beat one egg in a small bowl

Oil pizza pan, I used little coconut oil

Combine cauliflower, cheese, egg, garlic in a bowl and mix. Add about .5 tablespoon of pesto, be careful not to add too much as you do not want the texture too wet. Mix.

Scoop mixture onto pan and press into a pizza crust shape. Spray olive oil, my sprayer makes a fine mist and I only needed on pump. Spread olive oil as needed for even distribution, a brush or spatula work well.

Bake untapped crust for about 15 minutes. I also broiled the top for 1 minute after baking.

Prepare your pizza toppings while the crust is baking (you probably also have time to clean up!)

When lightly browned, remove and let cool slightly before adding sauce and toppings

To Finish:

Add your pesto sauce to the top of the baked cauliflower crust. This is to taste, it took about 1 tablespoon for a thin layer of pesto.

Add cheese and desired toppings. I used about .5 cup of cheese.

Bake 10 - 15 minutes or until browned. I also broiled the top for 2 minutes.

Make It Your Own!

This recipe is so versatile! You can make it your own by substituting your favorite sauces. I would suggest choosing a sauce that is a little thicker or dryer (not too watery).

It would also work with just about any topping. I discovered that onions are not the best topping unless you like them stronger. I used lovely mild sweet onions so it was fine, but they didn’t cook as much as I hoped with the shorter cooking time. You may want to pre-cook onions or other vegetables if you prefer a longer cooking time than 11-15 minutes.

Featured Ingredient: Rumanio Grass-Fed Cheese

Rumiano Cheese is cheese you can feel good about eating. I reviewed Rumiano Cheese in October 2014 and have been a fan ever since! It has a smooth texture and melts beautifully! I prefer this Smoked Mozzarella over the Cheddar I previously reviewed (I like my Cheddar a little sharper and more crumbly, though Rumiano’s Cheese is perfect for melted cheese dishes like Macaroni and Cheese!).

Rumania Cheese Company is California’s oldest family-owned cheese company! The milk used comes from humanely treated cows (according to American Human Association standards), are grass-fed and receive no antibiotics or hormones. The cheese is kosher, vegetarian-friendly, organic and non-GMO. Rumania works with small-scale farmers in Northern California.

Visit Rumiano Cheese Company’s website at rumianocheese.com if you want more information about Rumiano or access to their store locator.

Sam isn't really that "sly", but a college roommate thought so since she had Sly and The Family Stone on nearly constant rotation. When not editing Feeling Fit, Sam can be found pretending to be "sly" and "feeling fit"!